Guardian Rathalos Monster Guide for Monster Hunter Wilds

Guardian Guardian Rathalos is an old returning monster but with a brand new twist in Monster Hunter Wilds. Guardians are a new species, however, this particular specie is already based on an old returning monster known as Rathalos from the original Monster Hunter in 2004. Guardians are actually constructs and not alive beings, so this is a construct of Rathalos. There is not much information yet on what the main differences are with this monster. Guardians reside in the Ruins of Wyveria locale. Stay tuned for more info.

Crown Sizes

• Small Crown - 1704.2
• Silver Crown - 1533.7
• Large Crown - 2096.1

Let’s break down Guardian Rathalos’s strengths, weaknesses, and how to fight him effectively. If you’re aiming for optimal damage or the fastest possible clear time, make sure to bring a thunder or dragon-elemental weapon. He’s equally susceptible to status effects like sleep, paralysis, blast, and stun, though poison isn’t very effective against him. All utility items work well—flash pods, shock traps, and pitfall traps—except for sonic bombs, which won’t work at all.

Guardian Rathalos differs quite a bit in combat style from the regular Rathalos found in high-rank. Unlike his traditional counterpart who spends most of the fight flying, Guardian Rathalos is far more grounded in his movements. That said, if you’re already familiar with how to handle the regular version, you shouldn’t have too many issues adjusting to this one.

A common move is a short hop forward followed by an explosive landing. You’ll know it’s coming when his feet glow white and he does a quick leap — this can be dodged, countered, offset, or guarded if timed well. He also retains the familiar double head bite, lunging forward and swiping side to side with his head, just like the classic Rathalos.

Guardian Rathalos will spit fireballs while grounded too, so always keep your eyes open for that. Occasionally, he’ll fly up briefly and then slam down again with an explosion—this is a different move from his smaller hopping explosion and should be avoided with caution. It can catch you off guard if you confuse the two.

A particularly frustrating attack is when he pulls back into the air while simultaneously launching a fireball forward. This can hit you even if you’re directly in front or underneath him. He uses this often to clear space and it’s one of the moves that’ll catch hunters off-guard most frequently, so be ready to move.

Another returning move from the standard Rathalos is his aerial 360-degree fire breath. When you see him flying and prepping for it, your safest bet is to get directly underneath him—oddly enough, that’s the best spot to avoid the flames and also deal some quick damage. He can also perform a full 360-degree tail whip mid-air. Like many of his attacks, it can be countered, guarded, or offset, depending on what weapon you’re using.

His ultimate move is easy to identify. He’ll soar high into the air, pause for a moment, and then dive down with a massive explosion on landing. This move does a lot of damage if it connects, but it’s well telegraphed and gives you plenty of time to retreat. Don’t try to get clever with a counter or offset here—just run the moment you see him take off.

When Guardian Rathalos enters his enraged state, he becomes extremely aggressive and will begin chaining explosive moves together, one after another. Expect a flurry of stomps, hops, fireballs, and random explosive combos. He can even potentially stunlock you if you’re not careful. His movements become frantic and unpredictable, which makes him even more dangerous, especially if you try to go toe-to-toe without reading him properly.

In Conclusion, Guardian Rathalos is an explosive-heavy, chaotic fight that can feel more unpredictable than his standard counterpart. His many variations of explosive attacks can make it difficult to immediately identify what move is coming next, especially since some animations look similar. A helpful tip—when you see him glowing white, assume that an explosion is imminent and react accordingly.

Flash pods are still a great option for bringing him down while he’s airborne, just like with the regular Rathalos. Doing so creates a perfect opportunity to punish him for several seconds. Personally, I find Guardian Rathalos harder to read than his base version, but that unpredictability makes the fight exciting.

Take your time, don’t rush, and only commit to attacks when you know it’s safe. If you’re still having trouble dealing with him, bring along traps and explosive barrels to control the pace of the fight and squeeze in extra damage when it counts. Stick with it, and eventually, Guardian Rathalos will go from king of explosions to a smouldering corpse.